Shloka 17

Devanagari script

मुदित: शुचिरभ्येति सर्वतो निर्भय: सदा । न हि दुश्चरितं किंचिदात्मनो<न्येषु पश्यति,जिसका आचार-विचार शुद्ध है, उसे कहींसे कोई खटका नहीं होता। वह सदा प्रसन्न एवं सब ओरसे निर्भय बना रहता है तथा वह अपना कोई दुष्कर्म दूसरोंमें नहीं देखता है

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | muditaḥ śucir abhyeti sarvato nirbhayaḥ sadā | na hi duścaritaṃ kiñcid ātmano 'nyeṣu paśyati ||

Translation

Bhishma said: One who is pure in conduct and thought moves about with gladness; from every side he remains ever fearless. For he does not project any wrongdoing of his own onto others—he does not see his own misdeeds reflected in them.

Word by Word

मुदितःjoyful, pleased

शुचिःpure, clean (in conduct)

अभ्येतिapproaches/attains; goes (about)

सर्वतःfrom all sides; everywhere

निर्भयःfearless

सदाalways

नnot

हिindeed, for

दुश्चरितम्bad conduct; misdeed

किञ्चित्anything (at all)

आत्मनःof oneself

अन्येषुin others

पश्यतिsees

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Moral purity (śuci) brings inner joy and fearlessness; a person who is not burdened by personal wrongdoing does not habitually suspect or project that wrongdoing onto others.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma continues advising on ethical life: he describes the psychological and social fruits of clean conduct—confidence, freedom from fear, and the absence of cynical projection.